Comparison of Selected e-Books and Equivalent Print Books: Have Handheld Portable Devices Increased Use in Three Aggregated Resources?

Abstract

This case study examined how technological innovations such as handheld portable devices (e.g., Barnes & Noble's NOOK, Amazon's Kindle, Apple's iPad, and smartphones) revolutionized collection development and information dissemination at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Selected titles in three e-book resources, McGraw-Hill, MD Consult, and Stat!Ref, were compared with equivalent print book counterparts to gain insight into patron use and trends, as well as to unveil potential consequences for collection development with respect to the proliferation of e-book versus print media use. Results definitely showed an unprecedented surge in e-book use compared with the equivalent print title. What is more, in some cases, e-book use exceeded print material use by 1,005%, thus engendering major policy challenges for collection development librarians. Equally salient, e-books were used more than print titles. This study also revealed that patrons continued using print titles in spite of the availability of e-book counterparts. Additionally, the benefits and shortcomings of three e-book purchasing models (á la carte, direct purchases, and consortium) are discussed in this study.